The Art of a Well Staged Murder
by Night-Being
Summary: To kill a weak human shouldn't be that hard, especially not for a ridiculously old and experienced vampire. But as Sasuke was soon going to learn, this person wasn't just anyone. He was Naruto Uzumaki! And he was one hell of a lucky idiot.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** This story was written for my dear friend **xLoveless19**! Happy Birthday and may your every wish come true... or you know, something like that. Now without further senseless blab - Enjoy your gift!_

* * *

Being a vampire was boring. Seriously! Whoever said it was fun was an idiot. Maybe first few decades could be quite amusing, but after one or two centuries it became an annoying drag. Sasuke had been everywhere, he had seen everything. To tell the truth, there wasn't that much to see. He vaguely remembered those several years after he was changed. The time dashed pass him in a hazy flash. Parties, sex, alcohol, blood – a lot of blood. It was wild and intense, but the thrill faded away rather fast.

He travelled the world. He experienced things a normal human being could only dream about. He watched cities burn and then observed as new ones were built on the debris. He saw wars and peace, and he knew that no matter how many times humanity would fall, they would eventually stand up proud once more – doing the same mistakes all over again. The ages continued to run, days on the calendar changed, seasons switched and years grew. If he looked far back into the past, he could see how much the world has evolved, but he couldn't say he had ever felt the change himself.

If you ceaselessly observe a flower, you will never see it grow. It will bloom eventually, but you won't have an idea how it happened. That's how living was for a vampire. It drove them mad and if they didn't find something to live for every now and then, they were doomed.

Eventually, the creatures of the night became dulled and numb towards just any experience or emotion. Things they loved would be enjoyed no more and people they treasured would be gone in a snap of a finger. The longer you were a vampire the harder it was to find a compatible soul. To find a vampire remotely the same age as you was impossible and human lives were too fleeting. One day there were here and the other they were dead.

Sasuke thought about turning someone many times, but he had never met a person who would truly intrigue him. He had met many beautiful, interesting and captivating ones, but before he could get close to them and form a worthy bond, they were gone. People were gone just too fast.

As the time continued to flow, Sasuke distanced himself from everyone and everything. Blood tasted bitter and his existence lost all its meaning. He only wished for peace and quiet. To hide somewhere deep underground and don't come out for at least a decade… or maybe a century. He had tried this, but humans were like pest, they were everywhere. And what worse! They no longer feared vampires, they actually loved them. The new generation of humans was twisted.

Unless you were a young vampire who would relish in the attention, you couldn't even have a snack without the risk of being chased down by crazy teenage girls. Sasuke had learned the hard way that revealing your identity to a young female wasn't the best idea. She wasn't scared nor frightened of him. She was ecstatic! And it was much more difficult to get rid of a fan-girl with habits of a stalker than he could ever guess. He killed her on a whim. He would do it anyway, but like this he at least had a good excuse.

Sasuke was bored; bored to death. His human side suffered with lack of contact and companionship, but on the other hand he was way too deep in his own gloomy thoughts to really reach for a person. As absurd as it sounded, vampires needed people for more than just food. They watched them laugh and cry, and live and die. In the end it was the fight for their life what gave their existence the right meaning and taste. The only thrill Sasuke really enjoyed was talking a life; to see the light in human eyes fade away forever. But lately even that has become more of an annoying bother. Society was depraved and Sasuke suddenly found himself in a middle of a culture that was even worse than his darkest dream – corrupted and rotten. He had the right to judge, he had seen better days.

Or he was just bored.

* * *

To jump off a bridge into the river in the middle of winter might seem like a crazy idea, but the water looked so dark and murky he simply couldn't resist. And maybe he did it on a whim, because really… did he need a reason for just every damn thing he had done or would do during his painfully long existence?

Sasuke felt the air rush whiz around his head and then with a loud splash the freezing liquid swallowed his body. He didn't resist the current when it swept his lax flesh and carried him who-knows-where. He was rolling throughout the stream, uncaring of what would happen next. He was at peace. He hoped the river would eventually froze over and buy him few more months of the loud hum that passed his ears. It was the most silent place he could ever find.

"-hey!" Or not?

A huffed scream reached his sensitive hearing. "Hey you! What do you think you're doing?!" _Oh come on!_ Give him a break! Now that he had already found something remotely fun to do for the next few months, someone had to play a hero and drag his body out of the water? Did the human had no sense of self-preservation? Did he not know that he was in much riskier situation than Sasuke? Apparently, he didn't.

Sasuke listened to the rapid heartbeat of a person who was pulling him out of the newly found paradise. He felt the muscles of the man tighten around his body. He was strong, Sasuke had to give him that. He fought the power of the wide river with vigor and resistance and steadily swam towards the bank. Stupid idiot…

Annoyed vampire was dragged out of the freezing water and his body was placed on a dirty ground washed by the muddy river. Sasuke kept his eyes closed, indifferent features stuck in his face. He wasn't going to acknowledge the human. No! He would pretend like nothing was happening and maybe if the human would think that Sasuke was already dead, he would leave him alone. _Just go away, human!_

Warm object was placed to the middle of Sasuke's chest, the man listening to the non-existent heartbeat, then a cracked voice spoke up. "Hang in there, buddy." Buddy? Really? Sasuke was no-one's _buddy_ and definitely not this insolent human's. Wait a second…

Sasuke felt two fingers pinch the tip of his nose, holding all the air inside. A deep breath and another hand opened his mouth. This guy was definitely a persistent one, which made him even more troublesome. You don't give a CPR to a vampire! It is useless! Which, of course, the guy had no idea about. He probably thought he was rescuing a human being.

One second before a pair of warm lips were to touch Sasuke's cold ones, the vampire's hand fired to tightly grip the man's throat. He didn't need to look for his target. It was hovering right above him, hot puffs of air fanning around the vamp's face. Sasuke opened his eyes with an irritated huff and pushed the other's head away.

An excited call. "You're alive!"

Angry black look was met with a happy blue one. The guy who had saved him couldn't even be described as a man, he was still a boy. Sasuke frowned at the genuinely enthusiastic smile that was gazing hazily down at him. The kid was shaking, probably slowly freezing to death while trying to keep alive someone else. Too bad Sasuke was dead for quite a while already. Maybe he should exterminate him and spear the unlucky boy the trouble. Because who in the world would drag just anyone out of the water in the middle of winter and have so much misfortune that the 'person' was actually a creature of the night? Who?! No-one! Exactly!

Sasuke's stare darkened, he was ready to unleash the beast inside of him. To let the demon run free and devour this boy's life. Better hurry though, the joyful human seemed to catch cold soon. Sasuke didn't like sick people, they tasted awful. The grip around the boy's throat tightened, the merry smile didn't disappear for a moment. He was a seriously disturbing young man.

It lasted few empty seconds before Sasuke realized that the two of them held a staring contest for some time now. No blood, no biting, no slashed throats. After another long silence the vampire realized that every bit of his killer instinct was gone. "Who are you?" he spat before thinking much about it. Right at the point of asking he knew it was a mistake, but it was too late to take it back. Now he had to engage in a conversation, which he was bound to finish in one way or another.

The boy grinned widely. "N-Naruto…"

Sasuke scowled, measuring the bright blond hair and vivid blue eyes. "Well, Naruto," he paused to give the boy another mocking once over, "you're an idiot," Sasuke scoffed, then sat up, his every move followed by a curious electric look.

"What?" The intensive color of those eyes grew as their lids widened. Even through the unstoppable shivers the blond was experiencing, Sasuke could see how hard the boy was trying to figure out why the person whose life he had saved was calling him names.

"I should just kill you," Sasuke declared, facial expression dead calm, but somewhere deep inside he felt a sparkle of amusement when the utterly shocked face changed into something even more extreme.

"Why-y?" Naruto whined, voice thoroughly hurt.

Sasuke expected anything – begging, fear, anger – anything but this. No-one had asked him for an explanation before. Well, yes. They did, but it wasn't the real 'why'. They didn't want to hear a reason. They simply wanted for him to think about what he was doing and reconsider; they wanted their lives to be spared. Not this weirdo. Naruto seemed honestly interested in any kind of motive Sasuke might have.

Except the vampire didn't really have one. "Because!"

"That's not a good reason, you know!" Naruto retorted immediately, not even waiting for Sasuke to finish the sentence. As if he knew that there was nothing more to say. Sasuke's voice gave it out pretty clearly anyway.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't need a good reason," he announced with the most bored tone.

Naruto grunted, realizing that he shouldn't let some random person threaten him with murder. "Just who do think you are?" It was about damn time.

"A vampire who's about to kill you," he murmured, immensely irked. Of all the times his inner demon chose to magically disappear, it had to be now! When all Sasuke wished for was to savor the taste of this silly human and then go his own way.

"Well in that case… I'm the man who ain't gonna let you!" he proclaimed solemnly. New determination radiating from his lively eyes. There was no doubt that the boy was going to be seriously ill after his little rescue mission. He might even catch pneumonia. Not like Sasuke would care. He was resolute about slaughtering this person, to end his life right here and there. He desired it above all the things he had desired in the last decade. Also maybe because he somehow couldn't. Without his instincts, he couldn't do more than take a gun and shoot the idiot.

The staring contest continued. Sasuke let out a low growl, but other than that he didn't move a muscle.

Naruto cocked his head to the side in silent wonder, obviously rolling the received info about Sasuke in his head. The moron was going to do _it. _He was going to ask! Sasuke was sure. And his irritation only grew.

"So… Do you-" Yes, there it was, the famous question.

"No, I don't fucking sparkle!" Sasuke shot before the blond could finish his sentence.

The boy chuckled, "…have a name?"

Awkward.

"Sasuke."

Naruto measured him closely, probably slowly figuring out that Sasuke didn't need his help at all. "It was nice to meet you, _Sasuke_," the boy chirped suddenly. Chirped? Seriously? "But I need to go now, maybe you can try to kill me some other time."

Sasuke stared, deadpanned. Naruto was really leaving!

The vampire remained sitting on his butt by the river, watching how his prey was walking away from him. Fucking waving him goodbye! That jackass was going to die! When Sasuke decided to kill someone the person was as good as dead. He had never left anyone alive. He had no mercy! He didn't want some silly human to know about him. About who he was! He needed to get disposed of the witness and he was going to do it. One way or another! If the old fashioned way wouldn't work, he would figure out something else.

Naruto was basically a walking corpse!

* * *

_I am prepared for any kind of criticism!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** Here it is! Another chapter. I've tried to make it funny, but don't be disappointed if it's not. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy it! :)_

* * *

Few days had passed and being the proper vampire Sasuke definitely was, he spent them preparing to execute his mission of killing a certain someone. He had been stalking the gullible boy from the day he had met him. He learned all the required information about his prey with ease. Naruto had actually quite a boring life in Sasuke's opinion. Not that Sasuke really knew that much about the boy. He had gathered only the kind of information he needed in order to carry out his master plan.

Now, hardly four days after, he had everything ready. The small device was smartly hidden inside Naruto's shabby car, every wire connected to the mechanism with perfect precision. Sasuke would never do a job halfway. He was certain this was the best way, the most reliable approach.

At first he thought about cutting the vehicle's brake hoses, but then he would have to wait for the guy to actually have a car crash. And who knew… maybe the idiot might even survive. Sasuke could not risk that! He needed a hundred percent success. He made sure Naruto would die today. No human could survive an explosion, could they?

Sasuke found himself a good position on a roof, opposite of Naruto's apartment building. The sunset was coming, but the sky was filled with dark clouds, so there was no need to worry about turning into a pile of ash. He seated himself at the very edge of the flat top and waited. If he remembered correctly, Naruto went to work early in the morning. Every week day at 6am. As Sasuke saw the annoyingly joyful person walk out of the main door, this day probably wasn't an exception. The vampire already praised himself for work well done and started to prepare for the show.

Naruto juggled with his bag and keys for a while before he attempted to violently force one key into the lock. The key was apparently a wrong one and Naruto began to juggle with his stuff again, looking for the right one. Sasuke on the roof nervously shifted, black brows itching closer. He had already seen this morning ritual and even though he had found it quite amusing before, today it was slowly starting to irk him.

After several long minutes Naruto finally found the right key. Sasuke had no idea what took him so long. He could see quite well that the boy didn't have that many keys in the first place. He was just a clumsy idiot that must have been the case. Key was turned inside the lock, door secured at last. Sasuke tensed. Naruto froze right by the door. Sasuke's eyes grew wide, as if he was trying to glare a hole into Naruto's head and see what the moron was thinking about.

But instead of going towards his car, the boy unlocked the door and disappeared back inside. Sasuke rolled his eyes, concluding that the nitwit had probably forgotten something. When he came out again Sasuke nearly face palmed. Naruto had a sandwich stuck in his mouth. He went back for a damn sandwich! The vampire groaned, becoming quite annoyed. He knew what was coming. Oh yes. The juggling…

A second after Naruto indeed began to juggle with his keys, bag and a sandwich as a bonus. Of course! Three items were a little too much for his incompetent hands and it didn't take that long before one of them fell down. First it were the keys. Sasuke heard Naruto huff something, probably a swear word. The blond bent down to pick up his keys and the sandwich fell out of his dumb mouth as well, making a funny slap against the ground. Naruto cursed and his bag slid from his shoulder, landing right on the sandwich.

Incredible. Sasuke desperately watched Naruto awkwardly gather his belongings and slip back inside the building. This time the reason stayed unknown.

A guy on a bike passed by, throwing newspapers full of ads randomly around. One of them landed right in front of Naruto's door. Sasuke ignored it, no-one never read this stuff.

Another person showed up, this one in a jumper with hood covering his head. He did seem suspicious though, Sasuke shot him a vicious look and twitched; prepared to jump down from the roof and get rid of the witness in a second. But that moment the door banged again, Naruto coming out the third time.

Sasuke growled and glanced at the shady person stalking behind Naruto's vehicle. He appeared to be doing something with the car door. He wasn't stealing the car, was he? No! Of all the cars around, he had to choose this one? But Naruto was right at his door, locking them on the first try. Yes! He should see the thief right about… Sasuke's jaw dropped at the sight of Naruto's nose buried in the colorful add flyer. Who in the world read this crap?

Apparently, Naruto did.

Sasuke grit his teeth when the idiot giggled at something in the text and stopped to turn over a page. The thief managed to open the car's door in the meantime. Sasuke was inwardly screaming. Naruto chuckled again. He was so close, if he made few other steps the explosion might actually hit him.

Sasuke began to pray. Only few more steps and Naruto would be in the blast radius. Three steps… two… BAM! Sasuke stared at the fire with amazement. Somewhere deep inside he felt like crying… alright, not really. But come on! This was not fair! He saw the flames lash out, he observed how they fried a person inside the car. But it was the wrong one. His darkened eyes twitched to the side where Naruto was sitting on his butt, legs sprawled on the pavement as he was gazing at his car in disbelief. Sasuke groaned at the dumb look the blond pulled out, then glanced back at the burning car and black flames rising from the wreckage.

The vampire disappeared with an angry clack of his tongue.

* * *

Attempt number two. Sasuke was ready in a week. He had wallowed in self-pity for few days before he realized that he couldn't allow himself let this go just like that. He came to a conclusion that if he didn't manage to kill the boy inside a car, he would do it with a car. That was until he decided that mere car wasn't enough and he got himself a huge badass truck instead. Better be ready this time! Yes! Naruto was basically already dead.

After shadowing the moron for few days Sasuke learned the boy's schedule. Now that he no longer possessed a car, Naruto went to work by bus every morning at six forty. The bus stop was right around the corner, but he did have to cross a street before getting on the other side of the road. That moment was Sasuke's only chance. The perfect opinion. The dumb guy had his nose always stuck in his cell phone or the stupid add flyer and never paid attention to the surroundings. To run him over would be the easiest way. It would look like an unfortunate accident. Almost…

With truck ready, Sasuke nestled comfortably on the mushy driver's seat. He had never driven such a humongous vehicle before, and it was actually quite a funny experience. Something completely different than a car. It felt huge and powerful. He started the engine and the enormous machine roared. It would be a miracle if this didn't wake up the entire street. Sasuke didn't give a shit.

Deadly dark orbs were glued to the other end of the long street. There, Naruto's door motionlessly waited for the blond to open them and then lock them on the tenth try – if he was lucky. If not for the noisy truck, the street would be completely silent. Not a bird nor a cat. Once again, Sasuke didn't give a shit. His one and only goal was to make a bloody pulp of the idiot… Oh yes! Sasuke subtly shivered with excitement. If his cold heart could, it would drum inside his chest like never before. Killing was always so much fun!

With a creak the observed door finally opened, Naruto coming out and already shuffling with all his stuff. Sasuke had never met anyone as clumsy as this nitwit and he still couldn't believe that Naruto actually got lucky the last time. It must have been a rare coincidence or something. This time Sasuke would surely be successful.

The vampire geared up with a vicious smirk and the gigantic truck heavily moved, rolling its weighty wheels on the fragile looking asphalt. Sasuke drove slowly, waiting for the right moment to speed up. Once this beauty got running, it was no stopping it. Naruto wouldn't even know what got him.

Everything around played into the vamp's cards. The street was long, long enough to get a massive truck rolling so fast it had power of a small avalanche. The trees were bare, providing excellent view through the whole alley. And the dumb idiot had his nose stuck in the addictive light of his cell phone screen. Perfect conditions for a little morning slaughter.

Just as Sasuke had predicted, Naruto moved hastily on the sidewalk, not paying attention to anything around him. Not even the diabolical behemoth pursuing him in a badass, loud truck. Sasuke thought if the guy didn't become deaf in those few days, because come on… who wouldn't notice a fucking truck in suburbs?!

Apparently, Naruto didn't!

Sasuke continued rolling, slowly at first, but he was unavoidably pushing his weapon of mass destruction faster and faster. The blond should turn soon, he was almost at the end of the pavement. His little brain was probably too preoccupied by the enslaving device to pay any attention to where he was walking. He would walk right under Sasuke's wheels. The vamp already started to plan what he would do after his work here is done. Maybe read a book? Or take a nap? Yeah, why not…

Naruto changed the direction slightly. Sasuke pushed the pedal down to the ground. Naruto turned… all he had to do to get on the road was walk around a power pole.

Sasuke sped up, malice shine in his eyes. The truck dashed past the pole, hitting… nothing! Sasuke swiftly glanced into the back mirror.

And there he was – the golden child of fortune – standing right in front of the power pole and massaging his nose. The vampire's mouth fell agape. He hit the brakes and stopped. A bus drove past Sasuke's truck, aiming to the other direction.

Sasuke helplessly watched how Naruto ran across the street in a hurry; eyes focusing only on the cell phone. The bus almost hit him, the driver honking in annoyance and Naruto getting in with an apologetic smile.

Sasuke banged his head against the wheel and the bus with the very much alive guy was driving away.

* * *

Lucky attempt number three. Sasuke figured out a bulletproof plan. After two failed shots he came up with something that simply could not backfire! Because yes... he indeed had in mind to finally use a different invention of the twentieth century and instead of bothering himself with useless explosives and clumsy trucks he got himself a nice, black, shiny gun!

However, he wouldn't just go and shoot the dimwit. No! For once - it would be too easy. Two - no fun. And three - he would have to pull the trigger. Nah. Too much effort.

Because to find a way to install mechanism which would trigger itself at the right angle of the door and shoot anyone who would walk through the main entrance was way easier. Plus of course measure Naruto's height and calculate the position of his head, which was - of course - a piece of cake. Sasuke's logic! As I said, bulletproof!

This time it took him a single day to get ready. He sneaked inside Naruto's apartment through the window. It went smoother than he had expected, but only a true idiot would let a window right next to the emergency stairs half open during winter. That was Naruto's own logic though, no use trying to understand that one.

Sasuke worked his way through the apartment - measuring, assessing and preparing all the delicate wires and threads. He didn't really pay much attention to how the flat looked and if it was cleaned or not. Well, maybe occasionally when he stumbled upon some forgotten piece of clothes… or a dirty cup… or a licked plate… or an empty bottle of beer… or a half read book… or some other object which got in the way of his work. Alright! This guy was a slob! Who owned this much junk anyway?

Apparently, Naruto did.

With an annoyed huff Sasuke took Naruto's who-knows-how-old sock into two fingers and carefully put it away from the door knob before be neatly applied one end of the thread to the door. There! Done! The set was ready. All Sasuke had to do now was wait until the idiot would come back from work and open the trap. Bam! He would be dead before he would realize he was home. Splendid!

On his way out of the apartment Sasuke noticed a certain book. He had heard about it few times and actually planned to read it. Well, it was not like Naruto would need it anyway. He grabbed it. Borrowed book in his possession Sasuke climbed out of the window again. The day was once again cloudy and it even looked like snow. The vampire wasn't very happy about it, but he refused to stay inside the apartment. It smelled funny. Exactly as the guy who killed his hunter instinct, which made Sasuke feel awkward. And no, he wasn't going to analyze this further. The guy was about to die – today! At last! Sasuke wasn't going to dive deeper into the whole murderous impotency problem. There was no point… because the blond was almost gone anyway! Dead! Deceased! No longer alive! Alright… almost.

Sasuke waited. Who the hell was at work for that long anyway? Why couldn't he get back home at some normal hour? Gah! Jackass…

The vampire found himself a pretty spot on the roof, opened the book and got into the reading. Hopefully, Naruto would be home from work before it would start snowing.

Approximately three pages after, a sharp gunshot resonated through the cold winter air. Throwing away the book Sasuke jolted out of his seat. He didn't remember Naruto should come back home this early. He never did! Could it be that Sasuke was lucky for once and the idiot actually came back sooner? With an evil gleam he swiftly climbed down the steel emergency stairs and carefully peeked inside the apartment.

As if being hit by a brick Sasuke's features painfully twitched. He stared at the opened door on the other side of the room in stunned awe. Middle aged man about head smaller than Naruto stared back at him into the window. He seemed to be in more severe state of shock than Sasuke was. Probably having a stroke or something. But who the hell cared if the guy was dying on a heart-attack?! He wasn't Naruto and he had ruined Sasuke's master plan. He had triggered the gun! He had destroyed the fragile but precise mechanism! He had fucked up everything!

Why the hell was he in Naruto's apartment anyway? Where the fuck did he get the keys? Who the fuck was this asshole?

Sasuke growled, measuring the pervy looking man. With a small jerk the guy seemed to come out of his confusion and his eyes finally registered Sasuke spying him through the window. The man blinked few times, focusing on the blurred lines of Sasuke's figure. It was getting dark outside.

A wave of rage came over the vampire and before the man could even blink, his smaller fatty figure was plastered against the wall of the corridor and wrathful red eyes stared into his own muddy ones. The window through which Sasuke stormed inside creaked once and then it was left wide open and still. Cold whiz of wind reached their ears.

Without a word Sasuke squeezed the held throat and sneered, showing two extremely pointy fangs. The man's eyes widened in terror and he squealed like a pig, but not much voice could go through his clenched neck. Sasuke emitted a low growl and with a slide of crimson eye he scanned the middle aged guy one more time. He didn't plan to question, he only planned to murder this person. Here! Now!

He couldn't.

Red pupils evaporated, making space for two onyx diamonds to pierce the man's face instead. Sasuke grunted in displeasure and let go of the guy, his instincts of a killer gone again.

"Wh-o are you?" the man mewled in still strangled voice and massaged his released throat.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and didn't answer the irritating question which had been heard so many times before. Only another annoyed huff found its way through his nose.

"A-are you his boyfriend? Because I swear I didn't mean to… I was about to return it, really…"

There was a dangerous flutter in the vamp's face on the word _boyfriend_, but this man seemed to have something to tell. And against his will Sasuke realized he was actually a little curious. He set his hypnotizing stare on the man, urging him to continue with his shaky rant.

"Here, take this back… I swear it's over! I won't…" but the deadly glare had a completely different effect. The man took out some small piece of fabric from his pocket, threw it on the ground to Sasuke's feet and then began to hastily wobble away.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, no longer interested in the guy. His full attention was now tied upon the small piece of cloth. It didn't take longer than a second to recognize it was Naruto's underwear. Sasuke turned away with disgust and his eyes fell on a bunch of similar keys stuck in Naruto's apartment door from the outside. All of them were dulled silver color, only the one in Naruto's lock had a plastic orange cap on it. The vampire reluctantly glanced back at the underwear, then at the door again, he replayed the image of a middle aged man wobbling away only in his slippers in his head. It wasn't that hard to put one and one together.

Perverted landlord with secret depraved tastes and a weak spot for silly blond boys… gross! And what more, Sasuke just helped Naruto get rid of him, probably for quite some time. So instead of killing the jerk, he was actually helping him. Sasuke felt like ripping his hair out in despair.

A familiar voice singing loudly from behind the corner of the corridor sent a jolt through the vampire's flesh. With the last glare towards the source of the off tone singing, Sasuke disappeared. A moment after Naruto came home, staring dumbly at the mess in front of his apartment door.

* * *

After the third failed attempt Sasuke's annoyance grew, inwardly fueling his determination and desire to kill the boy. He came up with several more ways to murder Naruto Uzumaki. Every time he was one hundred percent sure that his plan would be a success. And every time he miserably failed he dived more and more into some weird obsessed trance. Sasuke banged his head against a wall until a crack appeared in it. He facepalmed so hard a red imprint of his own hand shined over his entire face. He rampaged, roared and seared after each and every unsuccessful shot. But a few weeks later he realized, that maybe… just maybe… he might not be trying as much as he was in the beginning. His efforts became a daily routine and somewhere deep inside he actually enjoyed observing the boy during his everyday life. It was strangely amusing to watch how Naruto managed to escape Sasuke's traps without even being aware of them.

Poison his coffee? Naruto accidentally spilled it. Drop a piano from the roof on his head? Naruto changed the direction a second before. Put a kitten to the middle of a busy road just in the moment Naruto was walking by? He rescued the poor little creature without so much as scratch. Sasuke wasn't really sure how he managed to do that, but he found himself smirking at the sight of Naruto cuddling the little furry ball and taking it away with him.

It lasted several long weeks, and without Naruto knowing it, Sasuke had learned almost every single detail about the blond's life. Where he lived, what he did in his free time, who were his friends, what was his job. He watched him juggle with his keys and rush to catch the bus every morning and then tiredly mope back home in the evening.

Another insignificant week of a vampire's existence flew by and Sasuke suddenly realized that he didn't try to kill the boy even once. What more, he actually didn't mind him staying alive as much as he did before. Because after all, this human would live for few more years. Sasuke could always try to kill him some other time. Right?

* * *

Days passed and weeks changed into months. White blanket of winter melted away and new life began to sprout from the ground. Spring was just in its outbreak and Sasuke was currently sitting on a top of another high building and curiously watched how Naruto hastily made his way through a narrow alley of the city centre. He had been out with his friends and missed the last night bus home. Sasuke found that as the perfect opportunity to spy on him the whole long journey towards his apartment building. Maybe tonight he could even try to kill the boy again. That could be fun. A small smile flickered on Sasuke's face, but instantly vanished when he saw another man step into Naruto's way.

A shaky hand jerked out and aimed right at the startled blond; a gun being tightly clutched in it. "All you have! Now!" the man demanded, voice stuttering with suppressed fear.

"Hey... sorry! I don't have-"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Only Naruto could actually apologize for not having any money to a thief.

"Everything you have! Now!"

Sasuke frowned at the tone of the thief's voice. It was scared, insecure and nervous. There was a bigger chance he would fire the gun accidentally than that he would do it intentionally. The vampire didn't like that. Naruto shouldn't die here. That wasn't the way it was supposed to go. He shouldn't be killed by some insecure thief in a dirty alley. He was _his_ entertainment and without Naruto Sasuke would be alone again, with nothing to do. And what more… Naruto was _his_ to kill! He was _his_ victim! _His!_

With one long elegant jump Sasuke materialized right between the idiotic thief and Naruto. The guy yelped and his gun fired. Hitting Sasuke right into his shoulder. The vampire rolled his eyes. "I should have known you would miss anyway," he huffed, annoyed.

"Sasuke?!" An ecstatic call came from the other side. He actually remembered his name after all the months? Impressive.

Tilting his head to the side Sasuke gave Naruto one short acknowledging nod before turning back towards the thief.

The gun in the hold began to tremble even more. "W-who a-a-are yo-ou?" the man stammered. Sasuke hated these types of queries.

"An android programed to capture incapable thieves and answer stupid questions," Sasuke declared calmly.

Naruto behind him chuckled. "So… A robot or a vampire? Pick one, dude," he teased him.

"An alien, you moron," Sasuke answered with a twitch of amused smirk Naruto couldn't see.

The thief looked absolutely stunned, his terrified eyes frantically switching from Sasuke to Naruto and back.

"Well, to me you seem like a big fat loser, that's all," Naruto said happily and chuckled again.

Sasuke growled. Stupid idiot who provoked a vampire with short temper! That's what he was!

He swiftly grabbed the gun which had been shakily aiming at him and stole it from the stupid man. The thief began to cowardly run for his life. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto paid attention to him anymore. With deft move the vamp turned around and aimed the newly gained weapon at Naruto, his arm so quick and the gesture so unexpected that the smile on Naruto's lips faltered. He made two rickety steps back, then tripped and fell down on his butt.

Naruto stared up at Sasuke, bewildered and hurt. Why did he have to look so betrayed? It wasn't like Sasuke was doing something wrong! He was simply doing what he was meant to do! This was who he was! And his only chance to kill Naruto might be exactly this one.

This was it! His moment! All Sasuke had to do now was pull the trigger. There was no way he would miss. One brisk move and bam! Naruto's life would be over! Just like Sasuke had planned from the very start. He would be dead, by Sasuke's hand. And it would be over…

All would be over.

"Why won't you just die?" Sasuke ranted under his nose and let the stretched arm fall.

* * *

_I am prepared for any kind of criticism!_


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke stared. Naruto stared. The night was cold and dark. The air around heavy and tense. Long peaceful sigh has been heard when Sasuke's arm with the loaded gun eased down. He threw the weapon away with an irritated huff. It clang on the pavement once then slid under a container.

"You're annoying," Sasuke hummed deeply, "and bleeding."

Naruto finally moved. Strolling his eyes away from Sasuke's standing form he registered the piece of glass stuck inside his palm. "Yeah," he breathed out absentmindedly and brought the hand under his face. He began to observe it curiously, then without thinking pulled the sharp object out. The blonde hissed when fresh blood began to pour from his palm.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

As if the blond remembered that Sasuke was indeed still there, he pulled the injured hand closer to his chest, staining his jacket with crimson fluid. "I can go on my own, you know. And I'm not stupid, I won't go anywhere with _you_ when I have _this_." Naruto waved with the hand and then swiftly hid it back against his body.

Sasuke rolled his eyes again. "Suit yourself," he murmured and turned around, intending to walk away.

"It's cool. So now we are like even, right?" Naruto chirped suddenly and stood up from the dirty ground.

He was about to leave, really. He wanted to just disappear back into the night and never see this freak of nature again. But something inside simply didn't let him. It sounded so cliché when he thought about it. Vampire who couldn't leave his prey alone, vampire who got obsessed with a person he could not kill, vampire who couldn't dumb a petty little human. Sasuke had heard it all before and he mocked the vampires who got stuck in a situation like this.

Now he was one of them. "What makes you think we're even?" he said, gritting his teeth.

"I've saved you and you saved me," Naruto elaborated with a grin.

Sasuke rolled his eyes third time. "You didn't save me."

"Yes, I did. Back there, by the river. I pulled you out, remember?" The blond furrowed as if trying to make Sasuke remember with his vivid blue gaze.

His temper was searing in a second. Sasuke seriously had no idea where to start. That he didn't need anyone to rescue him back there? That he actually _wanted_ to 'go for a swim' those three months ago? That throwing himself into his life Naruto had only ruined everything? Damned idiot! How could anyone be so dimwitted to think that they could possibly save a vampire from drowning?!

"Sasuke? Do you remember? Back there? It was like four months ago or something? I pulled you out of the river… I saw you-"

"Just shut up!" Sasuke barked. Unable to listen to that ranting anymore. "Shut up and fucking let me give you a ride home," he hissed. He had no idea how actually those words came to his mind, then further on his tongue and out of his mouth. But they were there. An offer.

Naruto looked surprised. "You have a car?" he asked in disbelief.

No! He wasn't going to answer that question. "Are you deaf?" Fuck it!

"Hehe, no. It's just weird," he babbled and began to walk along Sasuke. "I thought vampires didn't need cars… aren't you like a superhuman or something? Cause I saw you jump down from the roof. That was so cool… _so_ cool… I thought you can like jump from roof to roof… or… you know… tree to tree?"

Sasuke kept his mouth shut, chewing his tongue to actually remain that way. They rounded few corners. The vamp dead silent. Naruto yapping nonstop. Sasuke managed to think of ten possible ways how to kill the annoying human. He realized none of them. After few minute walk, although for some it might have felt like hours, they stopped in front of a dark blue vehicle.

"Is _this_ your car?" Naruto scoffed.

Sasuke stiffened, then twitched and ever so slowly turned towards the blond with a distinct warning in his eyes.

"Eeh, I just thought… that…" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "vampires have badass black cars with spikes and stuff."

Why didn't he kill him again? "Let me make this very clear, you moron," Sasuke began in his deep rumble, "I will explain only once and you better remember everything I say, because otherwise I can promise you a very painful death." He couldn't promise a shit, but Naruto didn't know that! "I'm not a damn monkey, so I do _not_ jump around, or from roof to roof, or tree to tree… or any other high place for that matter. I use a car, normal damn car like this…" he waved towards the vehicle, "I'm not a fucking rock star either, so I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is my car. Now get in or get the fuck out of my sight!"

Naruto pouted. "Jeez, chill out. I thought vampires were classy, that's all," he shrugged it off as if nothing happened.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Sasuke barked and narrowed his gaze, very dangerous gleam in his onyx orbs. If it would be just anyone else, Sasuke's pupils would have the color of fresh blood by now. Actually no. Scratch that. If this was anyone else, he would be long dead! Like three months dead!

"Uhm, nothin'," the boy awkwardly looked away.

Sasuke walked around the car and opened the driver's door. "Do you want the ride home or not?"

"But you won't bite!" the boy instructed and raised a finger on his uninjured hand, while the other one stayed hidden near the safety of his chest.

Sasuke shot him another glare and got in the car, deciding it would be better not to comment. Naruto promptly followed.

…

The soft vibrations of engine faded when the dark blue car stopped in front of Naruto's apartment building. Sasuke had pretended the whole time he didn't know where the dimwit lived and let him give directions after every turn. It was actually quite amusing to listen to his babble when he didn't rant about how disappointing vampires were. Naruto possessed this rare optimism and enthusiasm, which he sufficiently ventilated by everything he said. It fed the air around him with overwhelming positive energy. And exactly because of that it was definitely risky to be around him. Only his company was strangely soothing. Sasuke didn't want to know how the rest felt.

And the bloody hand? Sasuke wasn't centuries old to come crumbling down at the smell of someone's blood. It was inviting; sweet and tempting; but he could hold himself even in a presence of an unknown person. With Naruto it all came to him even easier, which considering the effect of his presence, wasn't such a surprise.

"Uhm, so…"

At the voice next to him Sasuke turned towards the blond. He expected him to be out of the car by now, so despite his face stayed completely expressionless he felt a tingle of something inside his chest.

"It's kinda late, but do you want to go up for a coffee or something?" Naruto finished his invitation hesitantly.

Vampires don't drink coffee. Sasuke hated coffee even when he was still human. It was one of the little things he actually remembered. So naturally, he intended to 'politely' refuse.

But then he registered his mouth already answering for him. "Sure."

It was too late to take it back and seeing Naruto's soft blush he didn't even want to. Sasuke knew about the effect his appearance had on other people, he learnt to use it a long time ago. He never thought about using this on Naruto though. Why should he? He wanted to kill the boy, not woo him. It wouldn't make sense. Yet this unknowing blond seemed to find him appealing. What a fool he was. If only he knew about Sasuke's hobby during these last three months he probably wouldn't be that friendly to him.

What was that? A quiver of guilt? No! That couldn't be. It was late for any doubts anyway. Naruto was already standing next to the door of his apartment. Unlocking them and right after that opening. He let Sasuke inside with sheepish smile, apologizing for the mess. Not like Sasuke wasn't already familiar with that as well.

"You should take care of the hand," Sasuke hummed and closed the door behind them.

Naruto glanced at his injured hand. The blood was almost dry, the cut not that deep, but it would still need some bandaging. "Yeah, I need to wash it," he announced and made his way to the kitchen.

Sasuke thought about telling him that if he would put the cut under a stream of warm water it would probably start bleeding again, but he didn't really feel like talking much. Or explaining anything to the idiot. If he didn't realize that himself, it was his own fault. He was the one who was going to have kitchen stained with blood... among other things.

"Oh crap!"

Yep. He was an idiot.

Stalking after Naruto Sasuke stopped in the kitchen. His hip casually propped on the counter and arms folded he watched as the dimwit stood above the sink, new blood pouring from the cut, water still running. It probably didn't really hurt anymore, but it was a mess. A lot of mess. A mess Sasuke actually kind of liked. The smell of the boy's blood was like a cherry on a cake to the aroma of him as a person, and the vampire suddenly discovered that he very much enjoyed cherries.

Sasuke stared at the trickles of red fluid streaming down Naruto's hand. And he left his eyes in one place just a second longer than he should have.

"Hey! Don't even think about it!" Naruto called out and Sasuke's gaze snapped up towards his face.

The vamp scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. Do you have bandages?" He looked around as if expecting to find a first aid kit stashed somewhere near.

"Yeah, somewhere… but wait." Naruto seemed to be thinking deeply. "You mean you're not even tempted?"

"No! Bandages?" Sasuke raised an impatient eyebrow. He lied. Of course he did. What was he supposed to tell the moron? That he would want to suck him dry but his inner demon went for a stroll who-knows-where? That if he could, he would sink his teeth deep into that tanned skin and gulp on everything Naruto could give until his body would move no more? That he prayed he could bury himself deep into that warm flesh and own every inch of the sweet boy. Suck him. Taste him. Mark him.

Wait a second… was this still about killing him? Yeah, possibly not. Sasuke refused to name the feeling bubbling from the depths of his abdomen, or so much as categorize it. But between you and me, this vampire didn't experience lust for such a long time that he almost forgot how it feels to desire someone else in any other manner than as a prey. So yes, Sasuke was starting to secretly lust for the boy, but he was way too stubborn to admit it. Unfortunately.

Small pout appeared on Naruto's face at hearing Sasuke's rejection. "Come on," he dragged the sentence. "Not even a lick?" he suggested mischievously.

Sasuke should probably warn him that you do not tempt a vampire. Like _never_! It was as hard to resist the temptation as refusing a tasty food. He could do it, if he really wanted to. Or he could simply succumb to the sweet calling of Naruto's blood, if he felt like it.

"A small lick?" Naruto lured him further.

The decision has been made. Sasuke gave in with an inward shrug. If the dumb blond was offering so willingly, why should he even try to resist? He was kind of hungry anyway.

The vampire detached his hip from the edge of the counter and approached the boy with two slow and deliberate steps. He saw Naruto's eyes growing wider as the distance between them was gradually disappearing. Sasuke reached for the tap and turned the running water off. The kitchen fell into stiff silence, only driblets of Naruto's blood measured time as they dropped unsteadily into the sink.

His next target was Naruto's hand and Sasuke gently grasped it from below to lead the injured palm under his face. He felt a small twitch in Naruto's arm, but other than that the boy seemed too shocked to actually move or protest. He brought this upon himself. Sasuke neared the red soaked skin, his own hand now being stained by the aromatic flow.

Pink tongue darted out and Sasuke gave Naruto's hand a tantalizing lick. The metal taste of blood immediately attacked his senses. Sasuke began to lap on the thick fluid like a kitten drinking a bowl of milk. Just as he expected, Naruto's taste was beyond sublime. It calmed his body and relaxed his soul. It was rich and the feeling of it melted on his tongue and slid inside his throat like hot chocolate.

Sasuke vaguely registered soft vibrations beginning to raise from his own chest. His other hand instinctively reached for Naruto's waist and wrapped itself around the boy's body. It was the most primitive of actions – to hold the prey in one place. Sasuke knew how close they now stood and he was also aware of the heat eliciting from the boy. He could sense everything. His fear, his anxiety, his surprise. But he chose to be lost in his own momentary pleasure and ignored all these mixed emotions. Even the tincture of arousal and Naruto's mildly labored breaths fanning over the side of his face.

Sasuke dragged his tongue over the cut and gently nipped on every small dose of blood which leaked out. He rounded his lips around and sucked softly, swallowing even the tiniest amount with care and delicacy. He had no memory of closing his eyes, so when Naruto hoarsely spoke up, he found himself opening them quickly and with shock.

"You're purring," Naruto whispered. The words fluttered to the vampire heavily and it took a second before his brain processed them.

He distanced his face from Naruto's hand and straightened, looking deep into his vivid blue eyes. Their position now strongly resembled a dancing pair for the boy had placed his free hand on Sasuke's shoulder. It laid there hesitantly and with no intention to push him away.

Naruto spoke again. "I had no idea vampires can purr," he breathed out in awe.

"We don't," Sasuke replied, immediately knowing that it was complete nonsense, because his own body just proved otherwise. Those soft vibrations raising from his chest a while ago could indeed be perceived as a purr of a cat. He released the blond and stepped away. "Your hand is clean," he declared and watched as Naruto glanced at his licked palm.

"Thanks," he murmured.

The sound of a purr reached their ears once again and both men simultaneously looked down to Sasuke's feet. There… a kitten lazily snuggled the vampire's ankle.

"Kakashi," Naruto said with a smile.

The vapor of previous tension faded away and Sasuke bent down to pick up the little furry creature. "You have a cat," he stated matter-of-factly. Where did he see this animal before?

"Yeah. For a while now. You wouldn't believe it, but some asshole left it in the middle of a road. Just like that. Who can do such a thing? This poor little guy was all scared and shaking when I took him home," Naruto explained.

Sasuke watched Kakashi the kitten in his hands for a while. Yep. It was definitely the one he had bought in order to kill Naruto. He didn't really expect that the moron would actually keep the animal. It looked genuinely happy in the blond's care though. That much Sasuke had to admit.

The vampire held it in front of his face, as if seeing a cat for the first time in his life. The cute thing began to purr again and tapped Sasuke's nose with its soft little paw. Naruto chuckled at the view and Sasuke carefully placed the kitten back on the floor where it continued to circle and curl around his legs.

Awkward silence settled between them.

"I should go," Sasuke hummed after a while. He didn't really want to leave. To be completely honest he considered Naruto's home a newly found paradise. With Naruto actually being there too, it was the perfect place to spent an eternity and soak in the warmth that radiated from the boy in unhealthy amounts. But it was exactly what he needed to avoid.

Maybe that was the reason Sasuke kept trying to kill the boy before. He couldn't afford all this. He was too old for this shit and had no idea how it was actually done in this era. Was it the same as fifty years ago? Or as one hundred years ago? And how was it done then? When was the last time Sasuke actually tried to establish a real romantic relationship? Was that even what would Naruto want? Was it what Sasuke really wanted? How could you recognize these feelings anyway?

Sasuke had knowledge about seducing people. He knew how to successfully charm a person and play all the shallow and empty games which in the end could hardly last few weeks. But few weeks were like a minute in the life of a vampire. They needed more to actually feel the strength of a bond. Maybe months? Years? Sasuke had no idea anymore.

People in the new age considered vampires sex symbols. They thought that being with one was the greatest adventure in the world. The adrenaline, thrill, danger and excitement. But that was usually only the human's point of view. The reality was completely different for a vampire. People thought that a vampire could fall for a person in matter of days. That they could be smitten by a human's smell or looks. That there were special people who attracted vampires like a honey attracts flies.

Well… of course there were people like that. But guess what happened to a person who smelled really nice? Yes. They got eaten. Very quickly actually. The vampire probably regretted a decision like that. But when instincts kicked in, there was not much they could do. Most of them didn't even want to. They would remember the person for the rest of their immortal existence and the memory would live with them. Eternally. While the vampire's existence went on, hollow and lonely, with nothing more to do than cling to another human who would eventually end up just as another victim.

Naruto should have been one too. He should have died a long ago. But he was… _different_. His spirit was strong and instead of actually fueling the vampire's hunger, it muffled it. Somehow, Naruto could make Sasuke feel almost human. Almost being the key word, because Sasuke still had no idea how to act humanely.

And so he was here, standing stiffly in the middle of Naruto's kitchen with a cat named Kakashi whirling around his legs; demanding attention; and human named Naruto smiling at him happily and demanding – _nothing_.

"You can't leave yet!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly. Or at least that's how it felt to Sasuke who got completely lost in his thoughts for quite a while. The vampire actually needed to recall the last thing he had said. Yes… that he should leave, but he never moved from his spot. How long had he been just standing there? It must have looked incredibly stupid.

Not to Naruto though, because the joyful boy simply continued where he left off. "I've offered you a coffee… or something… but since I don't really have anything else, coffee will have to do." Naruto turned around enthusiastically and began to rummage through his messy shelves full of stuff.

Being temporarily freed from the effect of Naruto's merry smile, Sasuke did exactly what he considered right at that given second. He left. Abandoning Naruto and kitten Kakashi in the kitchen, Sasuke made his way towards the main door. He heard Naruto blab to himself and then cut the sentence in the middle when he realized that Sasuke was no longer there to listen. But at that moment the main door were already slammed shut. Naruto being left in his apartment, probably holding two empty cups in his hands, and Sasuke walking down to his car – quickly – before he would change his mind and then never be able to leave Naruto again.

* * *

_**A/N:** This was originally meant to be a one shot. Then two... then three... and now I've ended with this. So yes... there will be one more chapter and it will be the last one! I've never thought about the story further, so I would have nothing for more chapters anyway. But I promise it will have a proper ending. :)_

Btw... I hope kitten Kakashi wasn't too weird. The reason I chose to name it like that is because this story is written for a friend and Kakashi is one of her fav characters from Naruto. So I wanted to have him there as well. ^^

_**xLoveless19:** Don't laugh, please! This was my awkward way of including even Kakashi into this freaky b-day fic. I hope you'll find it at least funny... hopefully cute. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke swore. He swore that he would never return to that apartment again. He vowed on his _life_ that he would leave Naruto alone. He would let him live his own mortal life and wouldn't interfere. Naruto would be better off without him anyway. Sasuke would be better off without Naruto as well. Nothing good could come out from a relationship like that, Sasuke thought. _No!_ He was _certain_ that they weren't good for each other. He was sure that to go back wasn't the right thing to do.

Sasuke's oath lasted hardly a day. Because fuck it… he was already dead. He couldn't vow on his own life anyway. And he had something he simply needed to give back to the moron. It was an important item, Sasuke decided.

So there he was, sitting on a metal staircase in the middle of a night, holding said item in his hands. He glanced at it, then rolled his eyes and proceeded to move towards the window. To his no surprise, the favorite window was kept mildly open, inviting anyone to go inside. That was if they felt like climbing long ass slippery emergency stairs. Thus, except icy winter breeze and Sasuke, there was probably no-one who would use this secret entrance. Even burglars were lazy in this era.

The vampire quietly lurked in. He closed the window behind him, at least this would save few dollars on Naruto's heat budget. He looked around, the apartment was dark. Sasuke wished he could say it was silent as well, but that wasn't really the case. Naruto's snoring dragged through the rooms, telling him exactly where the blond was located. Sasuke continued on his short journey, occasionally kicking away junk that got in the way. Several curse words falling off his lips in the process. He couldn't care less if he would wake up the snoring animal. It was possible that the idiot wouldn't even hear him approaching over his own noisy breathing.

Sasuke stopped by Naruto's bed. He watched him for a while, lying there, limbs sprawled all over the mattress, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. How very appealing. He would be delusional if he expected Naruto to wake up only from the feeling of someone staring at him. And who cared that it was many centuries old mass murderer? Well, apparently, Naruto indeed didn't.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Hey," he huffed in his typical annoyed tone. Not really smart nor creative, but whatever. What should he tell a human in the middle of night anyway? What could wake a person up?

"Fire!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto's snore hitched and he rolled on the other side. That much for his safety.

The vampire grew annoyed.

"I'm an evil demon who came to drain your life."

Yeah, no. He didn't really expect that this would do the job either.

Someone else had been woken up by Sasuke's intrusion though. Kitten named Kakashi neared the familiar vampire and began to snuggle his feet with a soft purr. Happy that someone was here to pay him attention while his master was dead asleep – no exaggerating.

"You're such an idiot," Sasuke ranted under his nose. Naruto advanced on another level of snoring and heightened the volume. The vampire growled with irritation and glanced at the item he was holding. It was the book he had borrowed before and then failed to return. The original was probably still thrown away on the roof, but Sasuke felt a little bad that he stole Naruto's book. So he had bought a new one. What if the boy would want to read it one day? And then he would realize that the book got lost? Hah, bullshit. It was just an excuse. But there he was, with a good excuse at… 3 in the morning. Wait… was that improper? And how should _he_ know?

Sasuke raised one hand and let it hover over Naruto's nightstand for a while, book clutched in its fingers. One, two, three…

Sasuke smirked. "Get up! You jerk!" he roared and smashed the book against the nightstand. Naruto sat up with a shocked yelp. Kitten under Sasuke's legs screeched and dashed under the bed.

"What the-" Naruto fumed hoarsely and taking a pillow he flung it on the dark form towering above his bed. It hit Sasuke right into his face and then heavily fell on the floor. Sasuke's irritated grimace stayed hidden in the darkness of Naruto's bedroom.

The vampire jerked his arm towards the book again, pointing at it. "I've brought your book back."

Naruto blinked several times and then rubbed his sleepy eyes. After some more reluctant waking up he squinted at the night intruder. "Sasuke?" he spoke up, voice still raspy from slumber. "Book? What book?"

The vampire rolled his eyes. "This one," he announced and twitched with his hand to catch Naruto's attention.

"Ugh, couldn't it wait until the morning?" Naruto whined.

"No."

"Bleh… tomorrow?"

"No."

"Then whatever, let me sleep." He plopped back against the bed and petted blindly for something. "Eh, Sasuke… can you give back my pillow?" he asked tiredly.

Sasuke picked up the pillow and threw it on Naruto's bed. He observed as the blond curled his limbs around it and almost immediately fell back to sleep. Not a care in the world that he still had a deadly vampire stiffly standing right above his bed.

_What the fuck?_

* * *

_Tomorrow_. To Sasuke's great horror, he found himself standing behind Naruto's window tomorrow as well. This time actually at some reasonable hour. There was still light in Naruto's living room. The hum of TV reaching the vamp's sensitive hearing. He had been stalling there for a while now, unnoticed by the idiot who was absorbed in a silly show which was currently on. Sasuke wasn't in a hurry, he simply observed the interior of Naruto's messy home. He didn't need much more than that. He was perfectly fine with just watching. For now.

That was until Naruto's show ended. At least Sasuke assumed it did, because the blond jumped up from his couch and stretched, then hazily looked around. His blue gaze fell on the figure on the emergency staircase. He squinted his eyes in very similar manner like the night before and his lips widened into a merry grin. Sasuke grunted in annoyance. He could be at least a little frightened or something… this instant happiness bothered the vampire. Where did it come from?

Naruto opened the window. "Hey, care to come in?"

Sasuke didn't answer, but he did step inside.

Naruto turned away and began babbling something Sasuke quite successfully ignored. The boy moved to the kitchen, keeping on with his rant and only raising his voice so Sasuke in the living room could still have the opportunity not to pay attention to what he was yapping about. The vampire closed the window; once again being considerate about Naruto's budget, then stepped further in. Two awkward steps seemed to be enough for now and Sasuke halted. Naruto coming out of the kitchen.

"I've tried to kill you twenty three times in the last three months," Sasuke blurted out. He seriously had no idea where that came from. Or why he said it in the first place, but he felt as if a huge boulder fell off his shoulders. Like keeping the secret from Naruto had been what clouded his mind and muffled his reasoning until now.

"Oh." Naruto halted as well and thought for a while. After few tensed seconds and – to Sasuke's great surprise – the joyful boy simply shrugged. "I guess you're doing a pretty crappy job then," he declared and dropped his butt into the same spot on the couch.

Sasuke watched him, stuck in a small awe, but Naruto only stretched one arm towards the vamp. "Beer?" he offered casually. Sasuke noticed that Naruto indeed held an extra bottle of beer. The other one was already opened and prepared to be consumed soon.

Sasuke raised a confused eyebrow. "No?"

"Okay."

Naruto placed the bottle on the coffee table, his feet followed and he made himself comfortable on the couch. It could seem as if he was ignoring Sasuke, but that wasn't really the case. The vampire didn't feel ignored. He felt… _accepted_.

And so it happened. Sasuke got in. Just like that he became a part of Naruto's life. Silent observer who came to soak in the waves of happiness and comfort which rippled from the miraculous boy. He wasn't hidden in the shadows like before. He didn't cause a threat anymore. He let all the murderous thoughts simply drift away. He seated himself on the other side of Naruto's couch and while Naruto watched TV, Sasuke watched Naruto. Not directly, of course, but he perceived his presence. Naruto brought him peace and warmth. To be around him became Sasuke's new light. New meaning of his hollow existence.

* * *

Since that evening Sasuke returned every day after nightfall. Naruto always opened the window for him, smiled and went to sit back into his spot. Occasionally the boy talked to him. Sasuke merely listened. He spoke only when Naruto offered him food or drinks, which Sasuke kept politely refusing. Naruto apparently didn't mind getting very few responses to the things he said. The blond boy was very considerate, Sasuke assumed.

Topics changed. One time Naruto ranted about his job, the other day he ranted about some movie. On one evening he enthusiastically yapped about a new TV show he began to watch, and on different occasion he hummed curse words about how stupid a character from the show was. Sasuke had no idea about what show Naruto was talking about, but that didn't matter. He was tranquil only from Naruto's lively aura. And Naruto seemed to be happy that someone let him blab anything he wanted and never interrupted him.

Every evening they merely sat there. The television playing, Naruto laughing from time to time. Drinking beer, tea, coke or something else. Eating popcorn, chips or other unhealthy food. Sasuke concluded that certain instant noodles were his favorite. They smelled terrible, but Naruto loved them. When there was nothing particularly interesting on TV, Naruto ignored it and browsed through his phone, texting with friends. Some other day he read a book. Few times he shared a joke with Sasuke, but not a chuckle had been squeezed from the stoic vampire. Naruto wasn't fazed by this. He welcomed Sasuke in his life and he simply allowed him to be there. To do whatever Sasuke wanted. Not like the vampire really did more than just some sitting and staring. But for Sasuke this was already a big step. It was heaven to be around someone who never questioned why he was there in the first place.

…

After many days Sasuke let himself in on his own for the first time since the night he returned the book. The window was opened and he didn't suspect Naruto would kick him out. He was right. Naruto greeted him with happy smile, not in the least surprised or offended that Sasuke invaded his home without invitation. It came to him so easily, Sasuke being there, his quiet companionship. Not every person could tolerate an unknown creature capable of many horrific deeds to come and go every evening without reason. Naruto was an exception. Rare gem. He continued to live his life and let Sasuke dive inside at pace the vampire felt most comfortable with.

Few times it happened that Naruto wasn't home. But he always left a paper with a message for Sasuke. And Sasuke kept all the messages. Once – when feeling generous – Sasuke even cleaned Naruto's apartment, only a little. The blond questioned him the day after, brows furrowed in fake anger. Sasuke's answer was a simple shrug. Naruto dropped the topic. He obviously didn't mind the new vanilla fragrance that replaced the old smell of fast food and burnt popcorn.

Several weeks had passed. Naruto lived his life as if nothing changed. Sasuke preferred it that way. He didn't want to be a hindrance, he didn't want for Naruto to make adjustments just because he let a vampire to be close to him. He didn't demand more than be let in every day and then leave after Naruto had went to sleep. That simple.

There were small moments of closeness. Little things that made Sasuke's heart swell and insides tingle.

When Naruto asked Sasuke to hand him something and their fingers touched.

When Naruto caught Sasuke openly staring at him and then smiled back in a different kind of way than usual. As if he understood how Sasuke felt.

When Naruto became bored and he kept throwing small pieces of paper at Sasuke who – for a change – was interested in something that ran on TV. Well... that was actually kind of annoying, but somehow Sasuke didn't mind that much.

When Naruto fell asleep on the couch and Sasuke watched him lie there peacefully before he took a blanket and only after tugging the boy in, he left. Closing the window so that Naruto wouldn't catch a cold.

Many decades and few centuries had to pass, but now Sasuke was finally happy again.

And then one night, after Naruto had gone to sleep, Sasuke stayed until dawn.

…

"Morning," Naruto yawned and absentmindedly passed a vampire who was crouched behind his couch reading a book with kitten in his lap.

"Good morning," Sasuke answered and closed the book. He watched as Naruto walked past him, dressed only in his sleeping pants. The smell of his fresh morning skin was something completely new to Sasuke, and it was even better than the aroma of him in the evening. He took a secret sniff and observed as Naruto's naked back vanished behind the door of his bathroom. The vampire could only guess how Naruto kept in shape with all the junk food he consumed every evening. He deduced the boy had that special kind of rare metabolism and all the food was used to fuel his vibrant spirit.

Half an hour later, Naruto came out of the bathroom, this time a towel hanging low on his hips. Sasuke still sat in his spot. The reason was quite simple. The rest of Naruto's living room was flooded with golden beams of sun. And behind the couch was the only place the treacherous rays couldn't reach. Sasuke was forced to wait until the shiny circle would rise higher on the sky and shadow in the room would grow.

_Or…_

"Naruto?" he questioned softly.

"Yeah?"

"Can you close the blinds?"

The blond stared at him for a while, deep contemplating deforming his face. And then with a flash of understanding he moved towards the window. "Sure."

"Thank you."

The boy disappeared in his bedroom with acknowledging hum and Sasuke could finally retreat to his spot on the couch. Because yes, now after all the time he could call it 'his spot'.

Naruto walked out - properly dressed. "That's not fair, he likes you more than me," he whined, pointing at the kitten purring in Sasuke's lap and proceeded to the kitchen. Sasuke returned back to reading his borrowed book, flash of a smile he had no idea about tugging up his lips.

Several minutes of making a mess in the kitchen and Naruto returned. "If you're gonna finish the book, don't tell me what it's about. I wanna read it too," he said and plopped on the other side on the couch, settling into _his_ spot.

Sasuke took a piece of paper and made himself an improvised bookmark. "I won't," he said smoothly and put the novel away. He watched as Naruto looked up from his breakfast with a happy grin.

"So… what do you do during the day anyway? I feel like we should do something to kill time, what do you say? Maybe a movie? Or a board game? Do you even like board games?" Naruto began with his talk and continued to consume his breakfast. "I have a day off today, so that's fine, otherwise you'd be stuck here all alone. But I guess you wouldn't mind that. Heh… I've been wondering for a while now… what makes you come back every time? I hope you don't think I'll let you turn me into a vampire like you! No! I love my life! I have big plans! So don't even think about it… got it?!" he suddenly pointed his spoon at Sasuke, fierce stare in his blue eyes.

"Got it," Sasuke nodded.

Naruto went back to eating. "Good," he hummed, mouth full of cereals.

This would normally be the end of their conversation. Naruto would finish gulping the chocolate stuff floating in his bowl of milk and go do his own things while Sasuke would go back to doing nothing in particular. But something in the vampire's brain decided differently, and Sasuke heard himself slowly explain. "I wouldn't turn anyone against their will."

The blond looked up again, spoon sticking from his mouth. "Yeah," he agreed and pulled out the item with a plop. "Makes sense."

And then a question slipped through Sasuke's lips. "What plans?"

"Huh?"

"You said you have big plans…" he quoted.

"Ah, hehe. So you actually _do_ listen, cool. Well yes, I have big plans. I'm trying to earn enough money for a dream I have. One day I want to travel the world," he announced and let his eyes gaze into nothingness for a while.

Sasuke's heart jumped. "You've never spoken about this before," he accused as if it was a crime.

Naruto frowned, thinking. "Well, I wasn't sure it will work out, but I got a raise at work the other day, so…" his voice drifted away, the point was quite clear.

"When?" was all Sasuke could whisper. He feared the answer for he knew that any amount of time would be too soon. Naruto was leaving, leaving him alone with no purpose.

"Uhm… I dunno. Several months? Look, I didn't really want to tell you, because… well… you seemed like you need a friend, so I thought…" he began his babble and put the half eaten bowl away from his lap.

But Sasuke stopped listening after the word 'months'. He only stared, deadpanned. He couldn't believe it. It felt like a slap right into his face. He thought he knew everything about the boy, every silly little detail. He thought that they were getting closer. He was sure they were! But for a human it wasn't that hard to sever some bonds, was it? How foolish he was when he for so much as a second imagined that this boy could be the right one to spend an eternity with? It was stupid, he knew him for few flimsy months. And yet… He hoped…

But it was _so_ obvious! _Of course_ he would leave! Fucking humans! Always on the move! Never really staying in one place for long. Especially not young ones. He should have known… he should have let his instincts lead him and keep away from the boy. He should have killed him! It was clear that he would be gone soon anyway. Sasuke just didn't expect it to be _this_ soon. His cold heart crumbled.

The vampire felt a warm palm cover his own. "Are you okay? I'm sorry if this was a shock…"

Sasuke looked down on the joined hands, the warm of Naruto's touch traveled through his whole body, not really easing the pain and rage. He wasn't angry at Naruto though. The boy had the right to live his life to the fullest. Sasuke was angry at himself. His organs cracked and hot blood was pouring from those wounds. Fuelling the new emotion that brought searing heat into his chest. It took a while, but in the end Sasuke recognized it – _fear_. Fear of being alone.

He reached for the boy across him in a snap. He saw a flash or terror in Naruto's eyes and somewhere in the back of his head Sasuke understood how unexpected this must have been. To see him move so swiftly and impulsively. But that didn't stop the vampire. Nothing could stop him at this point.

Sasuke grasped Naruto's face and brought him closer so he could join their lips in a hasty kiss. He leaned forward and then forced Naruto to lie back on the couch while he nested atop of him. Sasuke felt every second tick as if the flow of time stopped. He felt Naruto stiffen and then squirm. He felt Naruto's hands push into him, wanting to throw him off. He felt Naruto's heart beat against his own cold chest in a surge of adrenaline. Sasuke didn't budge. He held still, the kiss still forced on the boy's lips. Naruto tasted like chocolate.

The vampire let his eyes tightly closed, but he knew Naruto was staring with his own wide open. He always was. He watched the world with those vivid blue pools. Sasuke wished he could see every image of every place Naruto would visit to mirror inside those eyes. To see his joyful smile…

Sasuke's body twitched when he felt Naruto respond. The blond seemed to wake up from the initial shock and he moved his lips on Sasuke's, coaxing him to calm down. A shiver ran through the vampire's spine and he slowly began to kiss back. Their mouths melted together in a gentle embrace. Lips massaged and nibbled on each other. Soft puffs of air leaving Naruto's nose. Sasuke noticed the boy's body temperature promptly rising. He felt how the need in the blond fed the lust in Sasuke's flesh. As if they shared one brain.

Naruto spread his legs, allowing Sasuke to fit between them. Humans were always so quick to submit to sensations. But Sasuke knew better. Naruto would need air soon. He parted their kiss, meeting the bright blue of Naruto's eyes. He saw him blink, still mildly baffled by what had just happened.

Sasuke caught Naruto's gaze. "Take me with you," he breathed out.

The blond's dumbfounded look stared up at him in confusion. Then a glimmer of recognition and mild amusement shivered within that rare shade of blue.

Naruto chuckled. "I was going to ask anyway."

* * *

**...and they traveled happily ever after!**

* * *

_**A/N:** Yes, we have the end here. Thank you all who reviewed and who liked this fic. ^^ I hope the spin at the end wasn't too out of place. I just figured it could be a nice idea... This whole fic was kind of far-fetched anyway. But I had my fun writing it... and at least I got to share my personal (hopefully funny at times) view on vampires. :)_

**_Also, I might pick up on this fic again... not any time soon, but there might be an occurrence of a sequel of some sort. ^^_**


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